Improvement in jack-screw presses



UNITED STATES PATENT Fries..

IMPROVEMENT IN ,JACK-SCREW PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [9,2-32, dated FebruaryQ, 1858.

,To all whom it may conceiva- Beit known that I, JOSEPH W. Boonen, ofPine Bluff, in the county of Jefferson and State of Arkansas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in J ack-Screw Presses; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in whieh Figure l is avertical transverse central section of my improved press. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicatecorresponding parts.

My improvements only have reference to the jack-screw press, and aredesigned, first, to simplify the same so that negroes may superintendits management; second, to render the follower of the same capable ofself-lowering; and, third, lessen the weight of the toothed vraclebar,which carries the follower without impairing the strength at the pointwhere the greatest strain comes upon it.

The nature of the first feature of my invention consists in thearranging of the follower on the upper end of the toothed rack-bar, andhaving said bar arranged to press upward, instead of downward, by meansof a toothed pinion, large grooved pulley, and windlass with Sweep,arranged conveniently for applying horsepower for performing thepressing operation, said toothed bar, after having pressed the bale,being capable, owing to its arrangement, of descending rapidly by itsown grav- .ity through a passage in the ioor or platform,

and thus is avoided the necessity of slowly running it away from thecotton-bale by hand or other power. It is by this arrangement also thatthe press is rendered very simple.

The second feature of my invention consists in giving the toothedraclnbar a gradual taper on each edge from bottom to top, so that itlshall contain less metal and require less power in raising it. By thusshaping the bar the lightest or narrowest portion comes into action whenthe pressing rst commences, or when the least strain comes upon it, andthe strongest or broadest portion when the pressing is nearly completedor when the greatest strain comes upon it.

The saving in expense for metal and the reduction of power for operatingthe presses by shaping thebar, as above stated, and the speed gained andlaborsaved iu having the follower self-lowering, are items ofconsiderable importance in a large press, although they may ap'- pear oflittle moment when seen on the small scale represented.

To enable others skilled `in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A represent the framing of the press; B, the ilooring or platform uponwhich it rests.

G is the pressing-box; D, the platen, against which the cotton ispressed.

E is the follower', furnished with guides a a, which play in the groovesb b of the boX C as the follower moves up and down. The guides a a alsoserve as stops to control the extent of the downward movement of thefollower.

F is the toothed rack-bar, with the follower E on its upper end. Thisbar is of taper form on each edge from top to bottom, as shown in Fig.2, being about eight inches broad at its base and five inches at itstop. It is guided in its up and down movement by guides c d, and hasfreedom to descend to the full extent of its movement through theflooring or platform by an opening, e, in the same, which also serves asa guide to it.

G is a pinion-wheel for gearing into the teeth of the bar, as shown.This wheel is ar ranged on a shaft, H, situated below thepressing-box,-beiug furnished with suitable bearing-boxes, fff, of theframe A A.

I is a large grooved pulley arranged on the same shaft with the pinion.

J is a rope attached to and wound around the periphery of the pulley,andcarried to andattaehed to a windlass, K, which is pivoted in theflooring or platform, as shown in Fig. 1. The windlass K has ahorizontal sweep, L, attached to it, and said sweep has a stop-pawl, M,which, when the horse stops or backs, takes a hold into the platform orflooring, and prevents the follower descending. This gawl can be thrownup and retained alongside the sweep when it is desired to have thefollower descend.

In .operating the press, the rope unwinds from the pulley and windsround the windlass, and consequently turns the pulley and pinion, andcauses the latter to raise the toothed rackbar and follower. By havingthe follower press upward greater convenience is secured, as thepressing-box can be situated in the pieking or ginning room, and thustime and labor of transporting the cotton down to the press are avoided.

Thus having the pressing-box and follower arranged, I am aware it is notnew in toggle and other lever presses, but in presses employing a rackand pinion sueh arrangement of the same has never been attained, Ibelieve.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The arrangement and Combination of the it shall contain less metal,and require less power to raise it, substantially as set forth.

J OS. WV. BOCAGE.

Witnesses:

G. Yonin ATLEE, H. H. YOUNG.

